"My True Love Gave to Me" 12 Days of Christmas Ideas

This Holiday Season has been CRAZY with my husband working at the hospital in his 3rd year of medical school, having a baby a couple of weeks ago, starting our new sister website (myrecipemagic.com) and finishing our cookbook…. the list really goes on and on. I feel like I haven’t spent a lot of time with my husband! I try and write little notes every now and again, but I wanted to do something really special for him this year! My friend told me she did the 12 days of Christmas for her husband and I LOVED the idea! Here were some of her suggestions along with some of my own!

Day Number 1: This is the easiest day because you just need one item. Some examples are: A Pocket knife, Wallet, Beanie, Duct Tape…. Be creative!

Day Number 2: Things that come in two! Socks, gloves, underwear, tickets to movie or a sports game. (My favorite… electric tooth brushes!)

Days Numbered 3 and 4: These ones are pretty easy too! There are many things that come in packs such as: car wash tokens, golf balls, socks, mini flashlights, hand warmers, packs of gum, etc.

Day Number 5: You can still find things that are in packs of 5 but I loved the idea of a gift card from his favorite fast food restaurant. Most fast food places will let you get a gift card for $5.

Day Number 6: Packs of 6 are still easy to find! His favorite small candy bars, cupcakes, razor refills, granola bars, lots of snack packs also come in packages of 6! Just look down the snack or candy aisle.

Days Numbered 7, 8, 9, 10, 11: The higher the number, the more creative you have to be! Home made cookies delivered to his work, Hot Cocoa Packets, A screw driver set, A CD with 10 songs from the year that you met, A list of 11 reasons why you love him, a gift card, homemade coupons, you could also use the number as the time and surprise him at that time.

Day Number 12: This one isn’t too bad because 12 is a dozen! Batteries, His favorite magazine for 12 months, Tools (many tools come in sets of 12), My husband LOVES Lion House Rolls – he will be excited for this one!

Comments

I saw this on Pinterest several months ago and loved the idea. I’m doing this for my husband. I’m doing things like a pair of work shoes for day 2, 9 ‘hugs’ and ‘kisses’ for day 9 (Hershey hugs and kisses), 8 count nugget from Chick-fil-a delivered to his work by me for day 8, 11oz hot chocolate from Panera Bread delivered to work for day 11, a dozen of his favorite cookies baked by me for day 12, etc. It’s been really fun and sometimes challenging thinking up things to fill in the days, but I know he’ll love this!!!

I love love love this idea. I’m doing it his year and a few things I have came up with, not sure what days yet are a box of shells (my husband LOVES to hunt), gloves, socks, underwear, gift card, razor refills, tool set, batteries (again, for hunting), there are so many cheap great ideas. LOVE LOVE this idea. Now only if I can get him to do this for me! haha Thanks for sharing.

I have been doing this for years and it gets harder each year… This year may be the last so it’s a bit more extravegant….
1. One Sexy Wife – boudoir photos
2. Movie Tickets
3. 3 French Hens ornament (Hallmark has a series)
4. Taylor Hall Jersey (his number is 4)
5. Different types of hot sauce
6. Number of episodes in first season of “the league”
7. Months that we’ll be able to use the outdoor speaker at the firepit….
8. Hours a day of your family (framed print of family for work)
9. Months of Lessons (guitar)
10. Number of buttons on a new controler
11. Chapters in the book he wanted
12. 12 months of entertainment (mini ipad)

A couple of co-workers and I did this for a co-worker who moved several states away last Christmas. We created a spreadsheet for us to use to track who’s day it was to send something, and had a column for the actual gift (so there would be no duplication). Gifts ranged from a candle, lotion, knit gloves, an inspirational card or plaque, etc… For the 12th day, we took a photo of us, making a Christmas card, and sending that to her. She loved it (and so did her two little children, who began enjoying their daily treasure at the mailbox :-).

This year, I am thinking of doing this for my sisters…maybe alternate a gift between them, so one sister gets Day 1, another Day 2, etc…

A personal letter- homemade card- things she likes( her favorite chocolate -lotion- bath & body- Victoria secrets) date with you ( no phone calls!) books- – cute socks- pictures of you and her!! We really – most of us are simple- we want to be with our husbands- we want to be their # 1- we love pics together- we want to be beautiful for you ( inside and out) we want you to hear what we say : ) good luck and Merry Christmas

Tim – If you can think of gifts that tie into memories of the two of you….for example, one yellow scarf (if she wore a yellow scarf on your first date) or 10 chocolate covered macadamia nuts (if you had been to Hawaii together). I just think the sentiment of remembering fond memories made together would make it extra special.

I also included special moments. Romantic dinner for two, including candles and dressing in his favorite dress. Pamper you 5 ways, foot bath, glass of bourbon, nice music, appetizer plate and a massage. I am less worried about the number this year, he liked the special moments better then the gifts so my goal this year is to include more moments then actual gifts. Just spending time with him and making him the priority made him sooo happy, and me too.

Day 1: A ticket that says “ADMIT ONE to a candlelit dinner” – I’ll make his favorite food
Day 2: A pack of UP2U gum and it was supposed to be two tickets to our local hockey team… but that fell through… So I’m going to give him a two little ice skates (maybe paper? I dunno) and tell him what the plan WAS and actually that we’re going ice skating at a free rink near us.
Day 3: 3 ornaments – handmade by me for our first tree. One is our last initial, one I wrote “Our First Christmas – 2013″ on, and one has some sand/shells from our honeymoon in it.
Day 4: A 4-pack of Bert’s Bees chapstick – his fav
Day 5: 5 Kit-Kats -again, his fav.
Day 6: A 6-pack of his favorite winter beer
Day 7: A $7 gift card to our local dollar theater
Day 8: A half gallon (or 8 cups) of egg nog (He loves it and I don’t, so we don’t always get it)
Day 9: A new bow tie – “For the next time you have to ‘Dress to the NINES'”
Day 10: 10 Fingers – a bottle of massage oil
Day 11: 11 Caramel, butterscotch and chocolate-covered pretzels (homemade)
Day 12: A new calendar, and 12 coupons for things like getting to skip out on laundry night, a fancy dress-up date, and a night of uninterrupted video games

I love this idea and did it last year for my husband. He hated it. He dreaded each day of it. I guess he just likes his gifts on Christmas. If someone did this for me, I would love it. Just beware of if your loved one would want 12 days of gifts or 12 days of compliments or something else.

While not on the topic of significant others, my mom and I have done this for years, both for each other and for others and wanted to share a few ideas.

* 12 kitchen towels, one for each month (January snowflakes, February hearts, March leprechaun, etc) Takes a little planning as its easier to buy over the course of the year, but is one of my favorites
*A puzzle! Put the puzzle together then take apart dividing into 12 sections. Put in small bag or container and label each #1-#12. (Number so day 2 adds onto 1, and so on) On the 12th day, along with the last section of pieces, we gave the box
* Regardless of the gifts, one of the most fun parts is the surprise. We did the 12 days for my grandma the year my grandpa passed away. Instead of delivering them ourselves, or sending a package of all of the gifts at once, we had them delivered by someone different every day, or have them somewhere she’d be – Tuesday is the day she goes to the bank, so that day there was one waiting for her there. Not only did she not know who they were coming from, she had a visitor every day

Welcome to our site! There are six of us girls . . . no boys! Now that we have grown up and moved far apart from each other, we use this blog to stay in touch and share our ideas. Feel free to take a look around!